In the following poem the poet shares lots of images associated with hot summers, yet he is aware that summer does not last forever. He knows the days will leave, just like his daughter. Dig beneath the surface and you will fi nd quite an emotional poem.
Midsummer, Tobago By Derek Walcott
Broad sun-stoned beaches.
White heat. A green river.
A bridge, scorched yellow palms
from the summer-sleeping house drowsing through August.
Days I have held, days I have lost,
days that outgrow, like daughters, my harboring arms.
harboring: sheltering
scorched: burned
drowsing: dozing
Focus on ... free verse Free verse is poetry that is written without any set pattern.
Poems written in free verse will often sound like natural speech, as they do not have to rhyme and have no set rhythm. Poets who write in this style do not follow rules.
Notice how Derek Walcott does not follow a particular rhyming scheme. In this poem he expresses his thoughts in a conversational, reflective way.
